Lani Love

Owner of Allagash Canoe Trips

When she was growing up, Lani Love’s family thought being outdoors meant “walking from the house to the car,” she says. In the years since then, she developed a love for Maine’s wilderness and married into a family with a long history of guiding. In 2000 Love and her husband, Chip Cochrane, took ownership ofAllagash Canoe Trips, which was founded by her father-in-law, Herb Cochrane, in 1953. “I am so proud to be part of this family, and not just continue the Cochrane legacy but to be able to do this as a woman in a ‘man’s world,’” she says. For Love, guiding others down the Allagash River is a chance to help people disconnect from their lives and become more confident outdoors. “So much of our current existence is consumed by external stimuli and instant gratification,” she says. “In the woods and water, life slows down, and everything is about living in the moment.” Love is energized by her work when she sees people relax, come alive in nature, and connect with the environment. She is also a winter back-country ski guide with Maine Huts and Trails. People learn the most about nature, and themselves, when they face tough conditions head-on, she says. “I believe a bit of adversity makes you stronger and helps you value the importance of life.”

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